Cliodhna Moloney
Cliodhna Moloney | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 1993 Kilconly, County Galway, Ireland |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby union player, Compliance analyst |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Hooker for Ireland women's national rugby union team and Exeter Chiefs |
Cliodhna Moloney (born 31 May 1993) is a rugby union athlete from Kilconly, County Galway, Ireland, competing in women's rugby. She represents both the Exeter Chiefs club and the Ireland women's national rugby union team in the position of hooker.
Career
Moloney's athletic journey began with youth Gaelic football, playing for Corofin and participating with the Galway GAA squad during the All-Ireland Football Championships. Her introduction to rugby occurred while pursuing a degree in sport and business at the Institute of Technology, Sligo. Concurrently, she served as a Gaelic football coach for Sligo GAA. A friend from Dublin invited her to attend a training session, which led to her joining Railway Union RFC, a Dublin-based club, in 2014.
After Ireland's notable showing at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, Moloney signed with Wasps in 2018 to compete in the Premier 15s league. Unfortunately, her initial season was mostly disrupted due to undergoing shoulder surgery.
International career
Moloney earned her first cap for Ireland in 2015 during a match against the England women's national rugby union team at London's The Stoop. She went on to be selected for the squad competing in the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship. Following her appearance against England at Twickenham Stadium, she publicly supported the idea of hosting Women's Six Nations matches at the same venues as the men's tournament. In 2017, Moloney took part in Ireland’s campaign during the home-hosted 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, also contributing to event promotion activities at University College Dublin, where several pool games were held at the UCD Bowl.
After missing international play throughout 2019 due to shoulder surgery recovery, Moloney made a strong comeback by earning Player of the Match honors in Ireland’s victory over Wales during the 2020 Women's Six Nations Championship. That year, she was also recognized as the Rugby Players Ireland 2020 Women's Player of the Year.
In February 2021, Front Row Union named her to their Irish Women's Team of the Decade. During the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship, she was Ireland’s primary hooker. Later, in March, she was included in Ireland’s squad for the upcoming 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship.
Personal life
Hailing from a farming family with seven children, Moloney attended St Brigid's Tuam secondary school before enrolling at the Institute of Technology Sligo. Her professional experience includes positions within banking institutions such as KBC Bank Ireland and currently as a compliance analyst for Metro Bank based in the United Kingdom.
She is engaged to Claudia MacDonald, who is both her teammate at Exeter and an England international player.